The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-07-21
PRESIDENT.
The Chief Magistrate and His
Wife Swinging Around the
Circle.
He Tells About His Schoolboy
Days--Incidents of His
Early Life.

Early Life.
UTICA, July 13.-President Cleveland
and his sister and Miss Hastlng, his niece,
Col. Lamont and E. Prentiss Bailey, of
Utica, came down from Holland-Patent
on the special coach Ooronet, at 8 o'clock
this morning. They were met by Prof.
Hoyt and number of ladies and gentle
men of the centennial committee from
Clinton. Prof. Hoyt made brief address
of welcome, to which the president re-
sponded in few words. The Utica Jack
sonians, 100-strong, with the Twelfth In
fantry United States band, saluted the
president and wife as they stood upon
the platform of the coach. Crowded
trains have been running to Clinton all
the morning. The presidents special
train started at 9:15 a. m. An immense
crowd was at Ontario & Western railroad
station as the train pulled out. They
cheered the president and waved their
hats as they stood uncovered and he
bowed his acknowledgements.
President Cleveland and party reached
Clinton about 10 a. m. An immense crowd
was at the station to greet them. They
were escorted by the Jacksonians to Mrs.
o. s. Williams residence, where they were
greeted by prominent members of the
centennial committee and many venerable
citizens, while a parade of six divisions
was going over its route. In the parade
were chiefs, descendants of the Indians
who gave the site of the WALLACE to. its
founders, Skenandoa and Doxtater, and
over 100 Oneidas, with Indian bands from
the Oneida reservation. Nearly all the
available space within the village limits
Is crowded with spectators, and they are
coming in on every train and by every
roadway.
After the parade the president spent an
hour in receiving callers at Mrs. Williams
home, and over 5000 people were pre-
scented.
The exercises in the park did not COM
mence until o'clock. Rev. Henry
Darling, president of Hamilton college
offered the opening prayer. Rev. E. T.
Powell then made an address of welcome,
to which the president responded.
President Cleveland said:
81 am by no means certain of my stand
ing here among those who celebrate the
centennial of Clinton's existence as a
village My recollections of the place
reach backward but about thirty-six years,
and my residence here covered but very
brief period. But these recollections are
fresh and distinct to-day, and pleas
ant too, though not entirely free
from coloring. 1t was here in a
school at the foot of College hill that L
began my preparation for college life and
enjoyed the anticipation of collegiate
education. We had two teachers in our
school. One became afterwards a judge
in Chicago and the other passed through
the legal profession to the ministry, and
within the last two years was living fur
Their west. | read little Latin with two
other boys in the clsss. l think I floun-
dered through four books of the Eneid.
Other boys had nice large modern editions
of Virgil, with big print and plenty
of notes to help them over
the hard places; mine was little,
old fashioned copy which my father used
before me, with no notes, and which was
only translated by hard knocks. l be-
, lieve 1 have forgiven those other boys for
/ their persistent refusal to allow me the
use of their notes in their books. At any
> rate they do not seem to have been over
|
them is now rich and prosperous lawyer
in Buffalo, and the other is professor in
YOUR college, the orator of to-day's cele-
bration. Struggles with ten lines of Vir-
gil, which at first made up my daily
task, are amusing as remen-
bered now, but with them l am
also forced to remember that, instead OF
being the beginning of higher educa-
ton for which honestly longed, they
occurred near the end of my school ad-
: vantages. This suggests a disappoint-
ment which no lapse of time can alleviate
and deprivation have sadly felt with
every passing year. 1 remember Benon
Butler and his store. I don't know
whether he was habitual poet or not
but heard him recite one poem of his
=. own manufacture, which embodied an &C
: count of travel to or from Clinton in the
!, early days. 1 can recall but two lines OF
the poem, as follows:
Paris Hill came in sight,
And there we tarried over night
I remember my next door neighbors-
Doctors Bissell and Scotland, and good
kind neighbors they were, too-not o
YOUR cross, grabbed kind, who could no
= bear to see boy about. 1t always seemed
Q to me that they drove very fine horses
2 and for that reason 1 thought they mus
s be extremely rich. 1 don't know that
r should indulge in further recollection
s that must seem very little of centennia
l history, but want to establish, as well a
1 can, my right to be here. l might hav
spoken of the college faculty, who cas-
such a pleasing, though sober, shad
g of dignity over the place, AM
s who, with other educated and substantia
d citizens made up the best of social life.
70 was a boy then, but Notwithstanding, be
2, lieve 1 absorbed lasting appreciation
B. of the intelligence, of the refinement
l. which made this delightful home.
It know that you bear with me, by friends
70 if 1 yield to the impulse which the men
ton of home creates, and speak of m
home here, and how, through memorie
which cluster about it, 1 may claim
K tender relationship to your village. Here
d was that our family circle entire-parent
l. and children-lived day after day in lovin
" and affectionste converse, and here TO
"a q SGIEW71FIC HCCOUWTHN'